


Cuddling Prompts 26. In Lieu of a Kiss

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: Cuddling Prompts [26]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Asexual Relationship, Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Exhaustion, Hugs, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21582169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: Stephen (and the Cloak) stumble home, hurt and exhausted - right into Tony's arms.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Cuddling Prompts [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533584
Comments: 24
Kudos: 198





	Cuddling Prompts 26. In Lieu of a Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> One day late, sorry. But at least this is on the longer side? I hope this makes up for the delay. This is also kind of a sequel to [Future Starts Slow](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16073708), which means that Stephen is ace. It just fit the prompt _perfectly_ since that story established that this version of Stephen isn't a big fan of kissing, let alone sex, but really loves cuddling and just being together with the man he loves.

The last step through the portal was the hardest and Stephen could feel his injured knee buckling when he miscalculated and put his weight on it. He gave a sharp cry of pain and prepared himself for the inevitable fall to the floor since he knew that the Cloak was too exhausted itself to keep him upright any longer.

Instead of to the ground he fell into Tony’s arms. There was soft "uff" before the impact knocked the breath out of Tony but Stephen found himself held in a safe embrace.

"Hey, sweetheart," Tony murmured as soon as he had his breath back. "I must confess that I've never been greeted this enthusiastically before. It's nice but maybe with a little bit less force next time? I'm not the youngest anymore."

Stephen was too tired for a comeback. Instead, he just clung to Tony and tried to put all of his weight on his left leg. He felt the Cloak wrap around his right knee in support and groaned at the slight relief it brought.

"Stephen? What… fuck, are you hurt?" The arms around him tightened to an almost painful degree and Tony tried to simultaneously hold him, check him out and welcome him home. "What's wrong?" He must somehow gotten a glimpse of the Cloak holding his knee together because a moment later there was a hand on his tight, trying to touch him. Stephen flinched away out of instinct just before Tony could touch his knee. "Here. Let me…"

Stephen had no intention of doing anything, really. "Hmm," was his eloquent answer and he let go completely, safe in the knowledge that Tony would hold him upright for as long as possible. The next fifty years or so sounded nice.

"It's okay," he murmured when it became clear that Tony needed some sort of verbal answer. "Just wrenched my knee."

"Just wrenched my knee," Tony echoed unbelievingly. "Okay, that's it. We're not standing here any longer."

Stephen hadn't even really comprehended the words when there was suddenly an arm behind his knees and he was swooped up in a bridal carry.

As always, the casual display of strength on Tony's part left him speechless but apart from that it felt rather nice to not have to carry his weight anymore. Resigned to his fate, he relaxed into Tony's hold, closed his eyes and pressed his face against Tony's neck.

"You're not going to let me up again, are you?" he asked after Tony had carefully deposited him on the bed and had begun his usual fight with Stephen's belts. The Cloak, totally done by now, curled up next to Stephen, one corner absently stroking his left hand. They both looked at the spectacle for a moment and grinned at each other.

"Not before I have seen the damage, no," was the eventual answer. Tony impatiently threw the leather belts away and began to attack his outer tunic. Stephen let him have his fun and once again closed his eyes.

"It's just a sprain. I'm a doctor, in case you forgot, and I know when it's not serious." The Cloak tapped him lightly in reproach but Stephen ignored it just like he ignored the twinge in his knee and the deep ache in his fingers. "It'll be okay in a day or two."

A warm hand came to rest above his knee, careful to not actually touch it. "Yeah. Just like I know when I'm not seriously hurt and you're still fussing like a mother hen combined with a nurse." Tony's other hand cupped his cheek, his quest to free Stephen from his clothes forgotten for a moment. "I hate seeing you in pain," he confessed, looking earnest and a little bit scared. "And just want to take care of you." Up close Tony's eyes were even bigger and Stephen had never been able to say no to him when he was hit with the big Bambi eyes. He sighed but more in relief than frustration. It _was_ rather nice to be cared for, after all.

"You can," he said. "Take care of me," he clarified after a moment, "please start by getting me out of those clothes. I just want to sleep."

Tony smiled at him even if it was far from his usual bright grin. This one was much softer and more intimate and Stephen could _see_ how much it cost Tony to not just lean over and kiss him. Once again Stephen wished that he could give Tony everything he deserved but he just couldn't. Not yet. Maybe never. No matter how much he wanted.

"Shh." Tony seemed to have read his thoughts. "Stop that right now."

Stephen swallowed. "Sorry," he offered.

A quiet sigh. "Don't be. It's okay and there's nothing to be sorry for. I'm just getting you out of this and then you and your live-in blanket can sleep. You're both done for the day."

Yet another 'sorry' was on the tip of his tongue but Stephen swallowed it down at the last moment and nodded instead. "Stay with me?" He even managed to almost not hate himself for the needy tone that had crept into his voice. Tony had really done a great job at dismantling his defenses over the last few months but Stephen couldn't even be angry at either one of them. It was just too damn nice to be loved and cared for to resent the loss of his emotional detachment of old.

Tony looked at him as if he'd spouted a third eye in the middle of his head or something before he shook his head and wordlessly helped Stephen out of his out tunic. He stayed equally silent when Stephen god rid of his trousers the magical way to not further aggravate his knee.

"Of course," he finally said when he was down to a thin tunic, underwear and the little bit of Cloak that had crept up and snuggled into his left side. He looked at Stephen's leg for a long while, probably trying to invent human x-ray vision on the spot to check on Stephen's claim of his knee only being sprained, before he abruptly turned around. "Water?" he asked but didn't even wait for an answer before he got the bottle up from the floor and onto the nightstand. "Anything else?"

Exhaustion was breathing difficult, let alone anything else. Stephen finally gave up the fight and let his eyes close for good. "I'm good." He would be, he knew. Eventually.

He expected a frustrated reaction but instead he got the rustling of clothes.

"Hey, I know you're tired but if you could just…" Tony wasn't speaking to him but to the Cloak Stephen realized. He tried and failed to open his eyes because the image of Tony trying to move the Cloak was always a fun one. But this time the Cloak just let itself be manipulated like some normal piece of cloth until it was draped over Stephen. One corner wrapped itself around his knee, the other around his right wrist. The support felt good. "Here, that's better, right?" Tony asked. "Just where you're supposed to be. On top of your beloved master."

"Thank you," he cleared his throat as words became increasingly difficult and sleep tried to overwhelm him for good.

"Hey, no need to thank me. I'm just doing my duty of taking care of my boyfriend." He could hear the smile in Tony's voice and tried to smile back. "Sleep now. I'll be here when you wake up and you can tell me all about what happened."

He didn't want to but he would, Stephen knew. "Okay," he promised. "Cuddling?"

A short laugh. "I was afraid you'd never ask. Yes, come here you octopus."

He just tried to stay as relaxed as possible when Tony - with minimal assistance of the Cloak - pushed and pulled until he was on his left side and able to cuddle into Tony's right. His head came to rest in it's by now usual position on Tony's shoulder and a strong arm around his shoulder held him in place while the Cloak used the last of its strength to straighten out his leg and wrap itself around his knee once more.

"Let go, you two. I've got you know. You're safe."

It was stupid how much he relayed in verbal reassurance these days. But just like always Tony's voice and words did the trick and his mind finally allowed him to rest.

Tony's fingers in his hair, gently petting him, while muttering sweet nothings to reassure him was the last sensation he felt before he fell asleep with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> [@](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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